Self-adjusting airtight door



Aug. 12, 1952 P. E. H. FORSANS SELF-ADJUSTING AIRTIGHT DOOR Filed Feb. 26, 1948 Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT Application February 26, 1948,, Serial 11,093 In France December 31,1946

Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent; expires December- 31, 1966 2 Claims, 1

My invention, which can be applied to cakeovens and to any other system of oven, has for its object to provide, on the one hand, a novel air-tight door device, in which the pressure of the knife-edges against the joint surface is automatically obtained by the bending caused in the door as it assumes the shape of the suitably curved surface of the casing, and, on the other hand, various improvements of detail in the same doors.

In order to make my invention clearly understood, and only for demonstration purposes, a drawing has been appended to the present specification. In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a general arrangement of a door.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the door, in vertical section along the line AA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows, on a larger scale, at the top, a fractional vertical section along the line BB of Fig. 1 and at the bottom, a fractional vertical section along the line CC of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a fractional horizontal section along the line DD of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fractional section showing a modification of the door joint, and

Fig. 6 is a side View of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fractional sections showing various modifications of the door joint and of the device for adjusting and fixing the doorcasing.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the front face of the jamb is protected on the outside by a metal plate 2, of sheet steel for example, which is held in known manner by the anchoring 3; in front of the mouth of the oven is mounted a door-casing 4, which forms a complete frame, is attached to the plate 2 by means of the bolts 5 and is in contact with the splayed portion by means of the asbestos pads S; the casing 4 is provided with two bearing surfaces 1 and 8 which are suitably adapted to their function and which, by construction, are located at a fixed distance from one another; in the figures, the lower bearing surface i does not exist on the lower cross member of the casing on a level With the hearth 9 of the oven, but it may exist at this point, but this would make it necessary to provide a special device for the sole of the coke guide.

The door comprises a metal plate It), preferably of sheet steel, which is reinforced on the outside with bars ll forming a frame which is, both strong and flexible; said frame supports, in the usual manner, members I2 which are generally ma e of st-iron and which are spaced vertica 2 4 1y, said. m m ers port n the re rac ory lin n l3 Which is i th s s f r-med by u se ndependent elements which are, separated by free joints, in such a manner that the whole frame remains flexible to the desired and necessary extent.

The frame l5!l is plfQVided at the top with two, hangers I4. which suspend; the frame to the cradles [5 which are provided; with inlet uides and are securely fixed in front of; the front wall of the oven, as, known; each of-the han ers is attached to its corresponding bar H by means of a pin l6 about which it can, swing by the action of a screw-jack I! which adapted to rotate in the wing of the bar H and; to screw into a suitable nut of I4; finally, a bolt i8 is mounted in a slot of the hanger as described hereinafter.

At its lower part, the frame supports aknown type of locking system by means of screws, which comprises a nut l9 which is fixed to the frame and in which moves a screw 2 which is actuated by means of a square. 21 and which supports by means of a swivel a cross member 22, the two ends of which are adapted to engage in hooks 23 which are in turn secured to the door-casing 4; it is thus possible to lock theframe against the casing as required; however, according to the invention, the device is D TQ-Vided with an essential improvement which enables the cross member to be moved in either direction according to the movement of the screw 26 after loosening, thereby enabling the cross member to, be disengaged from its hooks or to be re-engaged automatically therein, the screw 26 in this case being actuated by suitable mechanical means which drive the square 2| and are fixed to the door removing machine; the improvement comprises producing a sufficient adhesion of the cross member 22 on the swivel 24 of the screw 29, by means of the spring 25 which is compressed by the washer 26 pinned on 20-21; any other device fulfilling the same purpose, 1. e. enabling mechanical locking and unlocking to; be effected by the door removing machine, comes within the scope of the invention.

The frame Ill-4 l, which is internally lined with an asbestos cushion 27, supports the knife-- edge frame 28 which comprises a channel iron, the outer wing of which forms a joint knifeedge which is pressed against the portion 3 of the door-casing 4 as known, whereas the inner wing acts as an abutment for a flexible dust screen 29 made of sheet steel or other material, which is locked by means of an asbestos packing 30 n a s i a e roov of the lining s a d h supports 12; said screen 29 forms a concentric frame to the knife-edge frame and its free end is adapted to bear against the bearing surface 8 of the casing 4 in order to prevent any deposit on said bearing surface 8 of dust or solid particles from the oven, which are liable to impair the eflicient pressure of the knife-edge 28 against its bearing surface 8.

Finally, the frame lllll also supports the fines screen 3| comprising one or a plurality of superposed steel plates or the like having a certain flexibility, which forms a frame around the refractory lining l3 on three sides thereof and is locked by the packing 32 in a suitable groove of IS and of the supports l2; the free end of the screen 3| is adapted to bear against the second bearing surface 1 of the casing 4; optionally, the screen 3| may be completed under the lining 13 by a flat asbestos or other plait 33 which is suspended to the lower lining support and is adapted to rub against the sole-plate of the oven.

Thus, any pressure of the door ill-4 I, which is suspended at l4l and locked at 22"3, against the casing 4, automatically produces a contact of the frames 28 and 29 with the bearing surface 8, and of the frame 3| with the bearing surface 1, so that simultaneously the fines contained in the cell of the oven are stopped by the screen 31, the bearing surface 8 is protected by the screen 29 from any deposit of solid substances from the oven, and finally gas-tightness is ensured by the knife-edge 28 which is pressed against the suitable bearing surface 8.

In the known systems, the necessary pressure of the knife-edge 28 against its bearing surface 8 is obtained by means of adjusting and pressure screws which bear on It) and press against the wing of the knife-edge 28. This screw device is not essential, provided that, in accordance with the present invention, the door-casing is given a suitable domed curvature and the door is press-ed against it so as to constrain said door to follow said domed curvature so that the resilient bending of the door corresponds to the necessary pressure for producing the air-tightness of the knifeedge 28 against its seat 8.

For this purpose, the fixing of the casing 4 in front of the splayed portion of the oven is such that the bolts 5 which are attached to the member 2 comprise a screw-threaded stem passing through the eyes of 4, and two nuts 34, the suitable actuation of which enables the casing 4 to be given the suitable domed curve, a side view of which is shown in Fig. 2. The frame H3H which is engaged at |4-l5 and locked at 22-23 automatically bends and assumes the curvature which is produced and adjusted in the casing, in such a manner that the knife-edge 28 is pressed against its bearing surface 8 with the necessary pressure for obtaining efficient airtightness; it will be readily understood that the screens 29 and 3| exactly follow the curvature of the frame and of the knife-edge and are in turn automatically pressed against the parallel curved bearing surfaces 8 and l of the casing 5, so that the door is constantly and automatically adjusted by the sole fact that the door bends and assumes the suitable curvature of the casing.

The curvature of the casing can be kept constant and adjusted by the action of the nuts 34, whatever the deformation of the face :plate 2; similarly, the bending of the door is adjusted both by the action of the jack I! on the hanger which is pivoted at l6 and by the locking means 22-23 which can be tightened as required; if

necessary according to the position of the locking means at the bottom of the frame, the lower part of the plate 10 may be pressed against the doorcasing by means of screws 35 which bear against the cross member 36 connecting the two uprights ll to one another. It is not essential for these adjustments to be effected frequently and the door-casing 4 is quite capable of supporting some deformations of the front wall until the instant when the limit of elastic bending of the frame Ill-4i is exceeded and the air-tightness of the door is impaired; it is also possible to damp the effects of the deformation of the front walls of the oven for example by interposing resilient washers or springs between the nuts 34 and the eyes of the door-casing.

In Figs. 5 and 6, which show a modification of the joint device, the channel-shaped frame 28 bears as before against the bearing surface 8 of the casing 4, at the same time as the dust screen 29, which is fixed in the lining 53; the frame plate [0 is also provided with its asbestos lining 21 whereas the frame 28, which is mounted on a flexible plate 37 protected by an asbestos sheet 38, is urged by the frame It by means of an undulating spring 39 extending all round the frame, whereby the pressure device of 28, at 8, is made more flexible than in the arrangement of Fig. 4. It would also be possible, in this arrangement, to replace the undulating spring 39 by screws spaced all round a frame as is known, or to provide them with springs as described, for example, in applicants French Patent No. 853,827 of November 16, 1933.

In Fig. 7, the door-casing is fixed to the protecting plate 2 of the front wall by means of screws Ml directly screwed into 2, shims M of adjustable thickness being interposed according to requirements; the frame plate I!) is provided with its asbestos cushion 27 against which rests a channel-shaped knife-edge 28 (identical to that of Fig. 4) in which is housed another channelshaped knife-edge frame 32 of smaller size which rests in 28, on one side by means of the undulating spring M (similar to 39 of Fig. 6) so that by the effect of the bending of M, the two ridges of 28 and 42 simultaneously bear against the bearing surface 8 of the casing d; the dust screen 29 completes the device of the two independent knife edges 28 and 42.

In Fig. 8, the mounting of the casing d on the plates 2 is identical to that of Fig. 7, but the double knife-edge 28-42 is replaced by a knifeedge supporting frame 35 containing an assembly of two independent knife-edges receiving the pressure by means of an undulating spring (similar to 39 and M her-einbefore) already described in applicants French Patent No. 918,246 of August 2, 1945.

Finally, in Fig. 9, the door-casing is adjusted on the plate 2 by means of screws 40 which are directly screwed into 2 and are provided with a lock-nut 46, whereas the door jointdevice is reversed owing to the fact that the knife-edge 2'! is fixed to the bearing surface 8 of the casing i and its ridge forms a seal against the plate H) of the door; the dust screen 29 completes the system by hearing against the free portion of the bearing surface 8, as previously; it would also be possible to mount, instead of the single knife-edge 41, a system of multiple knife-edges, for example as shown in Figs. '7 and 8 hereinbefore, or otherwise, and to provide the frame 10 with an auxiliary bearing surface fixed to a flexible metal plate as for example the knifeedge 28 of Fig. 5; it would also be possible to add the undulating spring 39 or the screws with springs spaced round the frame in such a manner as to impart flexibility to the knife-edge bearing surface as mentioned in respect of Fig. 5 hereinbefore, with reference to the knife-edge 28.

These various modifications show different embodiments which nevertheless remain within the scope of the invention, its being possible to fit any system of knife-edge joint to the flexible frame I0I I; similarly, said flexible frame may be constructed in any manner, and the same applies to the door-casing witha double bearing surface, but all these various constructions or combinations of the elements of the invention with other known or novel elements, remain within the scope of the invention in so farlas the principles of my invention are applied thereto.

I claim:

1. A coke oven comprising an outer metal protecting plate, a door casing having a concave curvature toward the inside of said oven secured to said plate by fastening means, said fastening means comprising a plurality of adjusting nuts and bolts cooperating with said plate to adjust the curvature of said casing, an inner and an outer bearing surface formed on said door casing, a door having a concave curvature toward the inside of said oven engaging said door casing, said door including vertical bars, a flexible plate rigidly connected to said bars, vertically spaced members attached to said plate, and a refractory lining supported :by said spaced members, attaching means located at the upper end of said door, clamping means located at the lower end of said door, said clamping means forcing said door against said door casing thereby causing the flexible plate on said door to assume the configuration of said door casing, and sealing means disposed between said door and door casing, said sealing means including a flexible screen locked in said refractory lining and abutting against the outer bearing surface of said door casing, and means mounted on said flexible plate forcing said flexible screen against said outer bearing surface of said door casing.

2. A coke oven comprising an outer metal protecting plate, a door casing having a concave curvature toward the inside of said oven secured to said plate by fastening means, said fastening means comprising a plurality of adjusting nuts taching means located at the upper end of said door, clamping means located at the lower end of said door, said clamping means forcing said door against said door casing thereby causing the flexible plate on said door to assume the configuration of said door casing, and sealing means disposed between said door and door casing, said sealing means including a flexible screen locked in said refractory lining and abutting against the outer bearing surface of said door casing, means mounted on said flexible plate forcing said flexible screenagainst said outer bearing surface of said door casing, and a, second screen locked in said refractory lining and abutting against said inner bearing surface of said door casing, said flexible screen and said second screen effectively sealing said door against said door casing thereby providing a gas-tight structure.

PIERRE EUGENE; HENRI FORE-ANS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

1. A COKE OVEN COMPRISING AN OUTER METAL PROTECTING PLATE, A DOOR CASING HAVING A CONCAVE CURVATURE TOWARD THE INSIDE OF SAID OVEN SECURED TO SAID PLATE BY FASTENING MEANS, SAID FASTENING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ADJUSTING NUTS AND BOLTS COOPERATING WITH SAID PLATE TO ADJUST THE CURVATURE OF SAID CASING, AN INNER AND AN OUTER BEARING SURFACE FORMED ON SAID DOOR CASING, A DOOR HAVING A CONCAVE CURVATURE TOWARD THE INSIDE OF SAID OVEN ENGAGING SAID DOOR CASING, SAID DOOR INCLUDING VERTICAL BARS, A FLEXIBLE PLATE RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID BARS, VERTICALLY SPACED MEMBERS ATTACHED TO SAID PLATE, AND A REFRACTORY LINING SUPPORTED BY SAID SPACED MEMBERS, ATTACHING MEANS LOCATED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID DOOR, CLAMPING MEANS LOCATED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID DOOR, SAID CLAMPING MEANS FORCING SAID DOOR AGAINST SAID DOOR CASING THEREBY CAUSING THE FLEXIBLE PLATE ON SAID DOOR TO ASSUME THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID DOOR CASING, AND SEALING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID DOOR AND DOOR CASING, SAID SEALING MEANS INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE SCREEN LOCKED IN SAID REFRACTORY LINNING AND ABUTTING AGAINST THE OUTER BEARING SURFACE OF SAID DOOR CASING, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FLEXIBLE PLATE FORCING SAID FLEXIBLE SCREEN AGAINST SAID OUTER BEARING SURFACE OF SAID DOOR CASING. 